Gripper mechanism



July 3, 1928. 1,675,559

A. @,Meaon GRIPPER uacmlusl Filed April 12, 1926 Patented .Iuly 3, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED i sTATEsi ARTHUR G. JACOBSON, F CHICAGOfILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MIEI-ILE PRINTING PRESS @c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- NDIS.

GRIPPER MECHANISM.

This invention nism.

One object of the invention is to provide gripper mechanism by means of whirtha sheet may be gripped with a substantially uniform pressure witnout nicety of gripper adjustment. t

Another object is to provide gripper nic-y chanism in. which a fed sheet maybe properly gripped without thenecessity of giving the grippers the uicety of adjustment required when a solid pad used.

Another object is to provide gripper inechanism in which, when there is a relative movement between the gripper members, the

position of the gripped sheet will not be disturbed.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangement shown on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved gripper mechanism including a pluiality of gripper members and showing their relative position with respect tol a printing press cylinder and the means for supporting the gripper members, and

Figure 2 is a detail elevational view taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the` following description and drawings, and will be p arg ticularly pointedbut in the appended claim.

Referring to the figures of the drawings, it will be noted that I have disclosed my invention in connection with a printing press cylinder 10 in thegap of which there is mounted an operating shaft `11 and a sup porting shaft 12. The .gripper mechanism proper is mounted on said shafts within the cylinder gap adjacent one edge 13' of the sheet receiving surface 1i of the cylinder.

Heretofore, so far as applicant vis aware, only solid gri per pads have been provided and when re .erring to solid gripper pads, such pads as rubber, felt, paper, as Well as metal, are included. When solid gripper pads are used, it is necessary to make a very nice adjustment of the gripper fingers which are located at various points along the operating shaft so that said gripper fingers may press down upon the sheet with a un1- form pressure. Such nicety of ad ustment not only requires the expenditure o a great deal of' time but is rather difficult to secure and maintain, and also grip the sheet in relates to gripper mechaa manner not to dist-urb its position on the cylinder. My present invention contemplates overcoming the requirement of nicety of adjustment of the gripper lingers, and at the same time,the gripper mechanism designed to grip a sheet with a uniform pressure and without disturbing its position on the cylinder. y

One embodiment of the invention takes the form disclosed on the sheet of drawings wherein the gripper pad member 15 is mounted for bodily movement in a straight line, said pad member 15 including a head 16, a guide collar portion 17, and a shank portion 18. The movably mounted gripper pad member 15 is inovably mounted in a recess 18 in a bracket 23, said recess also receiving a coiled spring 19 surrounding the shank 1b and interposed between the bottom 20 of the recess and the collar 17. The outward movement of the movably mounted gripper pad l5 is limited by any suitable pin or key 21 which extends through said shank 18 and is'engageable with a shoulder portion 22 formed on the bracket 28 which bracket in turn is adjustably mounted `upon the supporting shaft 12. The spring 19 presses the gripper pad member 15 outwardly, the spring being compressed an increased amount when the gripper pad is pressed inwardly due to pressure transmitted thereto from the associated gripper finger or member 24 adjustably mounted upon the operating shaft 11.

From the arrangement described, it is apparent when the upper gripper member 24 presses down upon a sheet interposed between said upper gripper member 24; and the gripper pad 15 that if said upper gripper member 24 is given an excessive movement 95 due, for example, to a rough adjustment yof same on the shaft 11, such will be compensated for by the inward bodily yielding movement of the gripper pad 15. At the same time, the gripped sheet of paper will be gripped with substantially a uniform pressure throughout. An adjacent pair of gripper members may have another relai` tively rough adjustment in which the gripper pad may be depressed a lesser or greater amount, the grippinr pressure being substantially uniform. llius it will be seen that if the various gripper fingers 2&1 distributed along the operating shaft 11 are given a relatively rough adjustment as distinguished from a nice adjustment, the gripped sheet nevertheless Will be gripped by the various gripper members with a substantially uniform gripping pressure. To prevent disturbing the position ofthe gripped sheet on the cylinder due to a possibie relative movement between the gripper pad 15 and the associated gripper linger 24, the gripper pad member l5 lus its head 16 provided with a knurled gripping surface While the gripping surface ofa the finger 24 is smooth or polished. In this Way there may be a relative movement between the gripper members in question Without disturbing the position of the sheet on the cylinder.

By means of the arrangement herein disclosed, the objects of this invention are aecomplished. It is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention falling Within the spirit and scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a gripping mechanism, a support adjustably fixed relative to the surface of a drum, a gripper member mounted on said support yielding in a substantially radial direction only and presenting a roughened plane gripping surface, said gripper 1nember having a limited outward movement, said surface in its limited outward osition lying substantially in the plane o sheets to be gripped; a pivoted cooperating gripper having a relatively smooth plane surface, said last named surface being so disposed relative to the pivotal center on which it turns that its plane substantially coincides with the plane of the surface of said roughened gripper and the plane of said sheets when said grippers initially engage, said pivoted gripper being capable of slight additional movement to depress in its gripping action said roughened gripper, whereby a sheet is held immovably on said roughened surface as initially engaged While said smooth gripper slides slightly over the surface of said sheet.

Signed at Chicago, of April, 1926.

ARTHUR G. JACOBSON.

Illinois, this 9th day 

